


Something Best Learned In Storm

by Flakeblood



Series: October Prompts 2020 [28]
Category: Vampire Killer | Castlevania: Bloodlines, 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series, 悪魔城ドラキュラ ギャラリー・オブ・ラビリンス | Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Genre: But he gets scared too, Childhood Friends, Dad came back from the war, Dealing with fear, Gen, Hugs, Nighttime, October Prompt Challenge, Thunderstorms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27298069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flakeblood/pseuds/Flakeblood
Summary: Neither Jonathan nor Charlotte like the storm outside. When they find Jonathan's father, they are surprised by what he has to say.
Relationships: Charlotte Aulin & John Morris, Charlotte Aulin & Jonathan Morris, Jonathan Morris & John Morris
Series: October Prompts 2020 [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950874
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Something Best Learned In Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Day 29: Childhood friends with supernatural elements  
> Additional Prompt from the [Castlevania Creatives List](https://flakeblood.tumblr.com/post/630387855154446336/kamek-the-castlevania-creatives-discord-server): Candlelight

"And then it appears just behind you, invisible, pulls back its sword, and BAM! You're dead." Jonathan sat back, a proud smile on his cheeks, still round with baby fat.

His audience of one didn't look as thrilled. 

"That's it?" Charlotte demanded. "That's not scary."

Jonathan pouted. “It is! You can’t even see it, so you don’t know where it is or what it’s doing.”

“So? I could just use magic.”

“Oh yeah?” Jonathan challenged. “Like what?”

Charlotte pursed her lips. “Like, like fire.”

“No you can’t. What if you set the house on fire?”

“I- well-” Charlotte leaned over and pushed Jonathan, who was laughing. He leaned over from his sitting position and pushed back, until they were both scuffling on the floor.

A loud, pealing roll of thunder stopped their movements. A second bright flash followed by another clap which shook the walls of the house had them scurrying under the table. They had prepared it earlier, laid blankets over it to make it cozier and safer, and lined the inside with pillows of varying sizes and shapes.

Jonathan and Charlotte huddled together, both shaking. Charlotte had her hands wrapped around her knees, but when Jonathan leaned against her, she followed suit.

The rain pounded against the windows, the room dark except for a flickering candle and a small bit of light from the gas lamp in the hallway. No more thunder crashed near the house, even though the room was occasionally lit by distant lightning.

“Do… do you think there’s monsters out there?” Charlotte asked.

“No,” Jonathan said, his tone both sure and frightened. “Dad is protecting us.”

“He’s not asleep?”

“...No. He doesn’t sleep when it storms. He told me.”

“Can we go find him?” Charlotte whispered.

Jonathan opened his mouth, but another rumble had the two clinging to each other. Once it was over, he said, “Yeah, okay. He’s in his study, I think.” Charlotte nodded.

After grabbing the lone candle, they slowly tiptoed down the hall--they were a few turns away from the study, having been on the other side of the house. Most everyone was asleep, all of Charlotte’s side of the family anyway, so the halls and rooms they passed through were dim, only the occasional gas lamp adding light to what the candle put out.

A loud clap of thunder had them both jump in fright. Charlotte’s hand slipped, but Jonathan’s was right there. They both held the candle then, their other arms around each other.

Finally, they reached the study, light coming from the open door.

“Dad?” Jonathan said quietly.

There was the sound of shifting fabric, and when they entered, they found John sitting in a large, cushioned chair, the room light enough to read in.

“Jonathan?” he asked, looking up. “Charlotte, what are you doing awake?”

“Charlotte was scared of the storm,” said Jonathan. Charlotte elbowed him.

“So were you!” she hissed.

John sighed, a small smile on his face, and gestured them to him. He took their candle to place on a nearby table and brought them both into his lap. In the flickering light, he looked tired, eyes dark and drooping, but he held Charlotte and his son tight.

“What was scaring the two of you?” he asked.

Jonathan was looking down at his hands. “Nothing.”

“Oh? Nothing?” A distant rumble made both the kids flinch further into the man holding them. “Ah. Me too.”

The kids looked up at John, astonished.

“Really?” Charlotte asked. Jonathan grabbed his dad’s shirt.

“Yeah, thunder scares me too. ...It reminds of bad things that happened a long time ago. There were very loud noises, and after them, sometimes people got really hurt. So thunder makes me scared, because I think of the other loud noises which made people hurt.”

Jonathan leaned in to wipe his nose on his dad’s shirt. John grimaced, but patted him soothingly. 

“I didn’t think you were afraid of anything,” Jonathan said. “You’re really strong.” 

Charlotte nodded along, her own eyes a bit watery and sleepy.

“Being scared doesn’t mean you aren’t strong,” John asserted. He held both children close to him, letting them lay against him as he sat back in the chair. “Being scared is… it’s very difficult. It’s not easy. But if you can be scared, and still be kind, I think that’s very strong.”

Though both children nodded, murmuring understanding, they had closed their eyes; Within minutes, they were fast asleep. John held them for some time longer, just listening to the little breaths over the sound of the rain.

**Author's Note:**

> Hooray! I got to come back and write more of Jonathan and Charlotte. And as little snots. ( -ॢ◡-ॢ)♡ I like the idea of Jonathan and his father being closer when he was younger, though I imagine John died not too long after this. :ccc Ah well, for now they cuddle.  
> (Also, doesn't the entirety of Castlevania count as "supernatural elements?")
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! And I'll be posting the next one soon!


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